Can a newly widowed Lady Mary learn to love again on “Downton Abbey”?

Will Jennifer Lopez bring back the sizzle to “American Idol”?

Are the zombies ever going to back the heck off on “The Walking Dead”?

These are among the pertinent questions as television’s winter season brings a blizzard of fresh programming to our TVs and laptops. In addition to returning favorites like these, viewers can look forward to a big batch of brand-new offerings.

The freshman roster includes the highly anticipated pairing of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in HBO’s dark crime series “True Detective,” and the dramatic TV series debut of Greg Kinnear in Fox’s legal saga, “Rake.”

And while there will be the usual emphasis on cops and lawyers, the offerings also include mangy pirates (“Black Sails” on Starz), a female werewolf (“Bitten” on Syfy), reanimated corpses (“Resurrection” on ABC) and a dude with a supercomputer microchip implanted in his brain (“Intelligence” on CBS).

Of course, we’ll also need to carve out some time for a number of marquee events, including the Golden Globes (Jan. 12, NBC), Grammys (Jan. 26, CBS), Super Bowl (Feb. 2, Fox), and the Olympics (Feb. 6-23, NBC).

Here are the notable highlights of TV’s winter season, starting with new dramas, comedies and reality shows, and continuing with debut dates for returning series.

A flair for the dramatic

“Chicago P.D.” — A crime series from the people behind “Chicago Fire” about cops in the Windy City. (10 p.m., Wednesday, NBC).

“Intelligence” — Josh Holloway (“Lost”) plays a high-tech intelligence operative enhanced with a supercomputer microchip in his brain. (9 p.m. today, CBS; moves to regular time slot 10 p.m. Jan. 13).

“Rake” — Think “House” as a legal series. Greg Kinnear plays a brilliant, but self-destructive defense attorney. (9 p.m. Jan. 23, Fox).

“Mind Games” — Two brothers (Steve Zahn, Christian Slater) run a unique agency that solves clients’ problems via the science of psychological manipulation. (10 p.m. March 11, ABC).

Going for the laughs

“The Spoils of Babylon” — A six-part parody of the decadent soaps of the ’80s produced by Will Ferrell about a powerful family led by Tobey Maguire. (10 p.m. Thursday, IFC).

“Enlisted” — The military misadventures of three brothers stationed at a small Florida Army post and the group of misfits they work with. (9:30 p.m. Friday, Fox).

“Mixology” — A show that follows 10 single New Yorkers at a trendy Manhattan bar over the course of one night. (9:30 p.m. Feb. 26, ABC).

Keeping it real

“100 Days of Summer” — Young and successful Chicagoans work and play hard over one intense summer in the Windy City. (10 p.m. tonight, Bravo).

“Crazy Hearts: Nashville” — Rising stars discover what it takes “to live and love” in Music City. (11 p.m. Jan. 15, A&E; moves to regular time slot 10 p.m. Jan. 16).

“The Fighters” — A gym owner works with boxing trainers to revive the sport in South Boston. (9 p.m. Jan. 23, Discovery).

Return engagements

Here’s a rundown of debut dates and times for returning shows:

Today: “Pretty Little Liars” (8 p.m., ABC Family); “Ravenswood” (9 p.m., ABC Family); “The Haves and Have Nots” (9 p.m., OWN); “Cougar Town” (10 p.m., TBS); “Justified” (10 p.m., FX)

Wednesday: “Psych” (9 p.m., USA); “Love Thy Neighbor” (9 p.m., OWN)

Thursday: “White Collar” (9 p.m., USA)

Friday: “Banshee” (10 p.m., Cinemax)

Sunday: “Shameless” (9 p.m., Showtime); “Girls” (10 p.m., HBO); “House of Lies” (10 p.m., Showtime); “Episodes” (10:30 p.m., Showtime)

Monday: “Lost Girl” (8 p.m., Syfy); “Switched at Birth” (8 p.m., ABC Family); “Being Human” (9 p.m., Syfy); “The Fosters” (9 p.m., ABC Family); “Archer” (10 p.m., FX)

Jan. 14: “Face Off” (9 p.m., Syfy); “Kroll Show” (10:30 p.m., Comedy Central)

Jan. 15: “American Idol” (8 p.m., Fox); “Melissa & Joey” (8 p.m., ABC Family); “Suburgatory” (8:30 p.m., ABC); “Baby Daddy” (8:30 p.m., ABC Family); “Real World: Ex-Plosion” (10 p.m., MTV); “Men at Work” (10 p.m., TBS)

Jan. 19: “The Following” (10 p.m., Fox); “Sherlock” (10 p.m., PBS)

Jan. 22: “Workaholics” (10 p.m., Comedy Central)

Jan. 23: “King of the Nerds” (10 p.m., TBS)

Feb. 9: “The Walking Dead” (9 p.m., AMC)

Feb. 14: “House of Cards” (12:01 a.m., Netflix)

Feb. 24: “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC); “Dallas” (9 p.m., TNT)

Feb. 25: “Rizzoli & Isles” (9 p.m., TNT); “Perception” (10 p.m., TNT)

Feb. 27: “Portlandia” (10 p.m., IFC); “The Vikings” (10 p.m., History)

Feb. 28: “Hannibal” (10 p.m., NBC)

March 6: “Suits” (9 p.m., USA)